Space exploration, as I see it, is the last true peaceful international collaboration on Earth.
I understand this claim is bound to invoke some scoffs from readers—the Cold War space race, for one, was characterized by serious military tensions between the US and the Soviet Union.
But for those of us who work in the field, space exploration requires an understanding that no one person, space agency, or nation alone can authoritatively define our place in the universe.
Because no entity can claim any part of the cosmos for themselves, outer space is the perfect place to demonstrate that we can respect universal (literally) human rights for all of Earth’s people.
Given that thought, the level of international cooperation is remarkable if we take into account just how precarious the field of space law and policy truly is. Especially if we consider the nearly non-existent and fragile landscape of international space law.
But my optimism comes with a caveat. When it comes to an industry as young as space exploration, is important to recognize colonization, imperialism, and exploitation as not just a series of major historical events that humanity is still recovering from, but as things that can conceivably inspire the future laws that will determine our fate in space.
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